Abdominal supporter



Aprpl0, 1923. w L

M. A. FONTAINE ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER Filed Sept. 50, 1921 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 10, 11923}.

rarest ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER.

Application filed September 30, 1921. Serial No. 504,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARIE Amok F on- TAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Abdominal Supporters, of which the followinglis a specification.

y invention relates to abdominal supm porters of the type used frequently after surgical operations. It may also be used for Various other purposes where support to the abdomen and lower parts of the body is required. It may also be used in place of 1% a girdle or corsets.

The particular advantages of my supporters are that the part which comes next to the body is made of knit worsted or jersey, which has a tendency to cling to the body and keep in place while it stretches sufliciently to conform to the contour of the wearer without causing discomfort.

It is so made that it can be readily washed without injury.

Its principal advantage, however, is that once adjusted in position it can be opened upin such a way that the wound or other affected part can be readily examined and dressed. It is thus especially useful for patients who must make office calls on a physician after an operation.

In the drawings the body of the wearer is merely outlined.

i Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my device adjusted and tightened in position onthe body of the wearer.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation substantially from the right showing my device in position with the lacings adjusted and slit straps undone.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation with the slit straps undone and the slit lacings undone, showing how the inside band and the outside band can readily be loosened up for examination without removing the device from the body.

Fig. 4 is a back elevation showing my device in position, with lacings adjusted and straps tightened.

Fig. 5 is an elevation from the left side of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified construct-ion with the lacings adjusted and the straps tightened.

Fig 7 is an elevation from the right side of this modified construction.

Fig. 8 is a back elevation of this modified construction.

My device comprises an inside band C. preferably made of knitted worsted material the ribbing of which runs horizontally so that while there is some horizontal stretch there is more vertical stretch. The ends 13 and 14 of this inside band are intended to approach each other at the back and are stifiened preferably with featherbone or some similar material and have eyelets 15 and 16 for the back lacing 11. These ends, eyelets and lacing permit the inner band C to be properly tightened and adjusted, and the stiffened ends 13 and 14: lying along near the spine hold the band up and in position on the wearer.

Proximate the side of the wearer, I cut the inside band C vertically to form an examining slit 9 on each side of which are eyelets 7 and 8 through which the slit lacings 10 are passed. In forming this slit, it may be cut in a gore or V shape or otherwise so as to conform to the contour of the wearer, and may then be laced up close so that the two edges come together. It is preferably reinforced with soft material and provided with a protecting strip 6 on the back.

I prefer to attach the non-elastic stocking supporters F to the bottom of the band C, and also two thigh straps 60 each of which preferably has a section of knit worsted material 61 and a buckle 62.

The other important feature of my inven' tion is the narrower outside band D made at the front 5 of non-elastic material and preferably supported by featherbone running vertically at 22 and 23 and a middle piece of featherboneand at the top is attached to inside band C.

In the construction shown in Fi s. 1 to 5, the outside band D has on each si e of nonelastic section 5, elastic sections of knit worsted material 40 and ll. Section 41 extends around on the left side and terminates in buckles 4-2 proximate the back of the band, and section 40 terminates in straps 43 which engage buckles 48 on another elastic section 44: at the back end of which are the straps 46 which engage 42.

As shown in Fig. 3, after the device has been adjusted it is a very simple and expeditious matter to loosen the buckles a8 from straps 41-3, then loosen the lacings 10, throwing back the part 40 of band D and the front part of band C for the purpose'of examination as of a wound I.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the band C is the same but the outside band H has a non-elastic section 75 at the front attached atthe top of its middle line at 7 9 to band C and has elastic sections 20 and 21, of which 20 has straps 24 and 21 has straps 25.

These straps 24 and 25 engage buckles and 71 attached to the ends of back sections 26 and 28of outside band H, which are preferably of knit worsted material or other elastic material and are at their other ends attached to the back stays 13 and 1a.

In any event, some of the straps or fastening devices of the outside band should be proximate the vertical examining slit 9 of the inside band so as to expose it when they are used. In Figs. 1 to 5, the straps 43 and buckles 48, and in Figs. 6 to 8 the straps 524i and buckles 70, are used for this purpose.

In Figs. 1 to 5, there "is a featherbone stiffener 19 attached near its top to inside band C, while in Figs. 6 to 8 the top middle point 7 9 of the front non-elastic portion is preferably attached to inside band C, al though such fastening may be omitted if desired.

As there are much oftener wounds, etc., in the abdomen than at the back where the pelvic bone is a protection, I prefer to have all stiff parts such as the stays 13 and 14: and buckles, toward the back rather than toward the front so that there will be less likelihood of discomfort and chafing.

I claim:

1. In an abdominal supporter the combination of a wide inside band of knitted worsted material having a vertical examining slit at a line to be proximate the side of the wearer and having eyelets for lacing said slit, said inside band having ends which approach each other at the back of the wearer and are provided with stiffeners and eyelets for back lacings, said back lacings, and slit lacings for said inside band, with thigh straps and stocking supporters attached to the bottom edges of the inside band, and a" narrower outside band made at the front of non-elastic material soattached to the inside band at the front and at another point that it will stay in place and having a section of knit material and two setsof tightening straps, one set being so located and of such character that when released the slit lacing of the inside band is exposed. r

2. In an abdominal supporter the combination of a wide inside band of knitted worsted material having a vertical examining slit at a line to be proximate the side of the wearer and having eyelets for lacing said slit, said inside band having ends which approach each other at the back of the wearer and are provided with stiffeners and eyelets for back lacings, said back lacings, and slit lacings for said inside band, with thigh straps attached to the bottom edges of the inside band, and a narrower outside band made at the front of non-elastic material so attached to the inside band that it will stay in place and having a section of knit material and tightening straps of such character that when released the slit lacing of the inside band is exposed.

3. In an abdominal supporter the combination of a wide inside band of knitted material having a vertical examining slit at a line to be proximate the side of the wearer and having eyelets for lacing said slit, said inside band having ends which approach each other at the back of the wearer and are provided with stiffeners and eyelets for back lacings, said back lacings, and slit lacings for said inside band, with thigh straps and stocking supporters attached to the bottom edges of the inside band, and, a narrower outside band made at the front of nonelastic material so attached to the inside band at the front and at another point that it will stay in place and having two sets of tightening straps, one set being so located and of such character that when released the slit lacing of the inside band is exposed.

4. In an abdominal supporter the combination of a wide inside band of knitted material having a vertical examining slit at a line to be proximate the side of the wearer and having eyelets for lacing said slit, said inside band having ends which approach each other at the back of the wearer and are provided with stiffeners and eyelets for back lacings. said back lacings, and slit lacings for said inside band, with thigh straps attached to the bottom edges of the inside band. and a narrower outside band made at the front of non-elastic material so attached to the inside band that it will stay in place and having tightening straps of such charactor that when released the slit lacing of the inside band is exposed.

5. In an abdominal supporter the combination of a wide inside band of knitted material having a vertical examining slit and having eyelets for lacing said slit, said inside band having ends which approach each other at the back of the wearer and are provided with st ifl'eners and eyelets for back lacings, said back lacings, and slit lacings for said inside band. with a narrower outside band made at the front of non-elastic material so attached to the inside band that it will stay in place and having tightening straps of such character that when released the slit lacing of the inside band is exposed.

Mas. MARIE ALIDA FONTAINE. 

